The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for government purposes without the payment of any royalties therefor.
The invention in general relates to ignitors, and more particularly to a non-electric ignitor for causing the ignition of flammable materials.
Flammable solids are initiated by an ignitor assembly. Many of these ignitor assemblies utilize explosive materials in conjunction with an electric ignition arrangement. These types of assemblies often present a dangerous situation in that they are susceptible to spurious RF electromagnetic radiation and may prematurely initiate. In addition, many of these devices represent an environmental hazard. Explosive materials used for initiation commonly contain heavy or toxic metals. The present invention obviates these undesirable features by providing an ignitor design which is non-electrically initiated and which contains no Class 1 explosive materials.
The improved ignitor apparatus of the present invention includes an elongated container having a charge of a flammable solid, such as thermite, deposited in one end of the container. A shock tube is inserted into the other end of the container and is operable, when initiated to deliver a shock wave into the container, which causes ignition of the thermite. Filler material is disposed about the tube within the container and is axially spaced from the thermite charge.